Global Warming Park Seven: Burn Baby Burn
by Gillen1962
Summary: Jason finds himself in the middle of two angry factions. Can he and Jax prevent a riot from engulfing Port Charles? Meanwhile Soumia and Lucky face danger as they search for Hajar's stolen laptop. Scotty explains to Anna who Bobby Chandler is


_Global Warming Park Seven: Burn Baby Burn_

"We will not be replaced. We will not be replaced." The crowd chanted as it moved in group mind from the docks of Port Charles and down Graymore Street towards the Sonyea Neighborhood.

From the balcony of Congressman Joe Kelly's hotel room at the Metro Court: Kelly, Mayor Laura Webber, her husband Kevin Collins and Candidate for Governor Roy Ward watched the torches move along the waterfront and heard the distant echoes of the chant.

Kelly shook his head. "This is far larger than any crowd he has had so far."

"Mac is reporting that traffic control says that a larger than normal number of cars cross the Port Charles Bridge." Laura said.

Kevin shook his head. "Disgruntled folks coming from far and wide to find some one to blame for their lack of jobs, the dying economy and culture changing so rapidly that they just cannot understand it."

Judge Roy Ward nodded. "Exactly Kevin, these people deserve our pity for their ignorance while we maintain our outrage at their actions."

"That is far more compassion than I am willing to give them" Joe said.

"Compassion is what separates us from them Joseph." Ward said.

"Oh no"

The men turned to see Laura on her phone. "No Mac do not engage unless absolutely necessary" She paused. "No, I understand, Civilians, your officers, protesters in that order."

She hung up.

"What is it?" Kevin asked.

"The permit allowed for them to march from the docks to the park via Graymore, the crowd however surged and at the intersection verged down Charles Street instead, they are still heading towards the park for the rally but now instead of skirting the edge of Sonyea they are heading right through its heart."

Joe shook his head. "Can't Mac move them back in the other direction?"

"No" Snapped Laura. "Because a few months ago I said no to buying military surplus equipment for the PCPD that would have given us that ability and given us the ability to do something if a riot breaks out as they pass through Sonyea."

"You made the right call Madame Mayor" Kelly said to his old friend.

"Tell that to the people of Sonyea who may lose homes if something goes wrong." Laura said

"Where is the Commissioner right now?" Roy Ward asked.

"At the intersection of Charles and the Park. Rather then trying to deploy the police behind the crowd and having to cut through them, he circled them around and they are lining the sidewalks up and down Charles street through Sonyea. It keeps the Holt people in the street moving forward and blocks the residents onto the sidewalks. They can all yell and scream at each other but barring a forward surge we can avoid confrontation." Laura said. "Mac plans on moving the back of the police line up as the marchers go by."

Kevin mused. "They can do that until they get to the roundabout at Barrington Circle, it is right before the entrance of the park. Mac does not have enough men to keep the whole circle covered."

"Do you have a car Madame Mayor?" Ward asked.

"Yes."

"Then we best get going."

"Where" asked Kelly.

"To the circle, maybe between the three of us we can keep the residents of Sonyea from acting on some justifiable anger." Ward commented.

He stopped at the door. "Hmm, I think we are going to call in some help." He said as they exited.

Across town at Charlie's Pub, Felix DuBois sat at the head of a long table. Around the table were his Uncle Toussaint and Stella Harvey, Lucas Jones and his husband Brad and his mother Bobbie, Terry Randolph and a somewhat uncomfortable but utterly bemused Jaspar Jacks.

Felix stood up and tapped the side of his glass. "I'd like to propose a toast, to the first annual General Hospital LGBTQ+ Association Friendsgiving dinner."

"We have an association?" said Lucas with a smile.

"We do now." Felix said with a laugh.

Terry leaned into Jax and said, "Regret coming?'

Jax smiled "Not at all. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing."

She ran her hand along his thigh "Funny I can"

He was about to respond when the sounds of the chanting filled the restaurant as the protesters filed by. "We will not be replaced."

"Who is that?" Asked Toussaint.

"I think they are the people from the Holt rally" Said Lucas "But they were supposed to head the other way off the docks towards the park, not down Charles Street passed here."

Julian Jerome the owner of Charlie's came out from behind the bar and looked out the front window. "The path they are taking will bring them through the center of Sonyea towards Barrington Circle before they enter the park."

"In our neighborhood?" Toussaint said getting up.

Stella put her hand on his arm "And where do you think you are going?"

He looked at her and answered in his low steady voice. "Darling, do you think I marched with Dr. King across the bridge in Birmingham so that fools like Charlie Holt could march passed my house and intimidate our people?"

"Violence will not accomplish anything Uncle" Said Felix.

Toussaint shook his head. "I know that son, I have no intention of being violent. But I do intend to take the side streets and meet that crowd at Barrington Circle. If they are going to claim I am replacing them, then they better damn well be ready to look me in the eye to say it."

He grabbed his coat off the coat rack and said. "Anyone else?"

Lucas stood up, his mother and his husband a second behind him. Felix help Stella up and smiled at his Uncle.

Terry said to Jax as she was standing. "If you don't want to, I understand."

Jax laughed. "Doctor Randolph, I have never backed down from anything in my entire life."

The group began to walk out the door when Lucas noticed that Julian had his coat on.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

Julian looked puzzled. "With you of course."

"Why?" Lucas asked.

"Because you are mad at me, I'm not mad at you." Julian said. "And you are still now and always will be my son."

Lucas nodded and said. "Come on"

"Yes Sir" TJ Ashford said into his phone. "No, I am on Spoon Island, I am not sure how I can get to Barrington Circle without going past the docks."

Valentin Cassadine who had been sitting in a chair reading looked up and said. "We have a helicopter."

TJ put his hand over the phone. "You do?"

Valentin took out his phone and punched in some information. "It will be on the main lawn in ten minutes, where are you looking to go Son?"

"Barrington Circle, Judge Ward wants me to join him to talk to the people from Sonyea, the New Wave people are marching through their neighborhood on the way to the park."

TJ turned back to his phone and said. "Sir, I will meet you there."

He hung up. "I don't know how to thank you." He said to Valentin

Valentin smiled. "It is not a problem; the pilot will land in Oscar's Meadow."

"Great"

"Let me grab my coat" TJ's girlfriend Molly Cassadine-Lansing said.

"No." said TJ.

"I'm coming with you." Molly said.

TJ looked at Valentin who nodded wisely. "Molly, you need to stay here for this." He said to his niece.

"Why?"

Valentin sighed. To be young and unaware is both a blessing and a curse. "Molly, I did not hear Judge Ward's side of the conversation, but it sounds to me like he is trying to end this without violence. " 

"And I'm violent" She asked.

TJ Shook his head. "Oh baby, there is no easy way to put this. The Judge wants me there because of what those security guards did a few weeks ago, I can be a symbol of resolving things through the proper legal channels. But if I show up with you then the only topic on both sides is that we are an interracial couple."

"YOU have got to be kidding me?" Molly said.

"It is not fair" said Valentin calmly "But it is fact. Molly, this is one of those times when as royalty your duty is to do the greatest good for the greatest number not to serve yourself. What we want is unimportant to what defuses this matter."

"I hate this" Molly said hugging TJ.

"Me Too" He broke the hug and turned to Valentin. "Thank you, Sir, I will be back as soon as I can."

Valentin smiled. "Oh TJ, I agreed that Molly should not go. I did not say anything about not going with you myself."

Molly smiled at her Uncle; he had changed so much in recent months.

"I can't ask you to do that Sir" TJ said.

Valentin shrugged. "And I cannot allow the Cassadine Paladin to face danger alone, it would make me a bad prince. Now please can we go before we do something silly like hug?"

Dillon Quartermaine smiled at Jordan Ashford and said. "I cannot say that I am pleased that the PCPD withheld information on a possible serial killer until now, especially since you have heard every news outlet in the state speculating about it, but I do appreciate the exclusive."

Jordan nodded. "I know that you have feelings concerning how forthcoming we have been, but we are telling you everything we know now."

Dillon shook his head. "No, you are not. And I do not expect you to. You are holding something back so that when the inevitable nut jobs who take credit for these things walk into the station to confess you have a way of weeding out the crazies."

Jordan laughed and said. "And I am not even going to deny that Mr. Quartermaine."

Dillon was about to say something else when Officer Dev Corbin came in, he leaned down and whispered something to Jordan whose face went white.

She turned to Dillon. "The Holt rally has changed from its prescribed route; they are marching directly through Sonyea towards Barrington Circle. "

Dillon took a deep breath. "Any chance I can ride along Chief?"

"Come on."

Anna Devane paced outside of the Hospital Room on the fifth floor of General Hospital. She had walked the hallway several dozen times since Annie had called her, waiting. Finally, her fiancé Dr. Hamilton Finn came out.

"How are they?" she asked.

"Both of them are fine. Dr. Garshallah had a touch of hypothermia, but we are warming her up. Annie just wants warm clothes and to get "The hell out of here.""

Anna laughed. "And the young man?"

"Across the hall behind you waiting for his clothes to dry. They are all fine Anna." Finn said.

Annie Donnelly popped out of the room holding the hospital gown she wore closed behind her. "Hey McBain, where are my clothes.?"

Anna shook her head at her namesake niece. "Annie, are you sure you are all right?"

Annie smiled at her aunt and said. "Yes, Aunt Anna, I am fine. Where are my clothes?"

Finn shook his head. "I will go and see if the nurses have gotten them dried yet."

Anna motioned Annie into the hospital room. Hajar lay on the bed her eyes closed. "Hajar?" Anna said

The woman opened her eyes. "Anna, how are you?"

"The better question is, how are you?" Anna said.

"Annoyed. I lost my laptop and several of the Franklin plants."

"Is everything on the laptop backed up?" Anna asked.

"Really do I look like some insipid undergraduate Agent Devane?" Hajar said. "Of course, it is. But all my notes are on there, anyone reading it would be able to see my work"

"And your horse porn." Said Annie smiling.

"I am not dignifying that with an answer." Hajar snapped.

Anna held up her hand. "Stop both of you. Lucky and Soumia are following the tracking device. That should have the laptop back before the thief realizes what he has, if he were to ever realize it, and we can get more Franklin Plants from Dr. Chandler."

"I suppose" said Hajar.

"Annie once your clothes are dried catch up with Lucky and Soumia. I will stay here with Hajar. I need to have a difficult conversation with some one and here is as good a place as any."

Annie nodded and Anna stepped back into the hall. She dialed a number. "Scott, Anna Devane, if you would like to talk about Bobby Chandler I am at GH, on the fifth floor by room 598. "

Alexandria Quartermaine sat back and waited for the Skype connection to go through. She sat in front of the computer; the person she was speaking to obscured. "Doctor. There is a laptop with the formula on its way to your location. We had a slight delay while we removed a nasty little WSB bug."

"Good." Said the man on the other end. "I must repeat though Ambassador I am a medical doctor not really a chemist, I think I can put this formula together but really you need someone of Hajar Garshallah's qualifications to do this."

"I am done with kidnapping people Doctor it always backfires. You have a modicum of intelligence and a motive. Moreover, we have the power plants and satellite needed to implement the formula. If Dr. Garshallah beats you to the formula by a few hours or days it will mean little, they cannot deploy it as easily as we can. So, work Doctor." Alexandria said and then added. "You do want your previous project to be perfected do you not?"

"Yes" Snapped the Doctor.

Alexandria grinned. "Yes, and once I have the Ice Princess formula then I can arrange for that to happen. I will put all of the scientist that have worked on projects similar to yours at your disposal. You Sir, can have your daughter back."

"And all I need to do is help you rule the world"

Alexandria laughed. "Doctor, please do you really think that I am foolish enough to want to rule the world?"

"Isn't that what the Ice Princesses formula is about?"

'No Sir, Mikkos was insane. I am not. What the Ice Princess formula does is give me power. And through that power, I will have the great nations of the world capitulate to my demands, but I will not rule them, they will simply know that whatever nation I grant my largesse is the super power not them."

"Malkooth?"

"Likely" Alexandria said. "Why not It would be nice to see the mouse that roared bring the United States, Russia and China to their knees would it not."

"That is not my circus and not my monkey I am afraid" The man said.

"No, your monkey, and circus is why others can come back from the dead and not your daughter." Alexandria said. "Give me my formula and I will place in front of you the team that can do that, and frankly doctor at least one of that team will have motives has high as your own."

Lucky and Soumia walked carefully into the warehouse near the edge of the dock. "This is where we have tracked the signal to" He said

"Who are you talking to I am right here" Soumia said smiling.

"Personal Logs, new WSB record keeping thing." Lucky said pointing to a small recording device attached to his ear.

"Yuck, remind me not to whisper any sweet words of love in that ear." She answered smiling

Soumia pointed to desk in the middle of an empty floor. "And if that does not look suspicious."

They walked over. A laptop sat in the desk. "This is where the signal is coming from, this is the laptop with the device "Said Lucky

Soumia shook her head. "But it is not Hajar's"

"Are you sure?"

Soumia traced her finger across the top of the closed laptop lid. "Very, both Hajar and I always etch the Arabic word for Allah into the top of our laptop, we have since we were little girls. "She picked up the laptop and took a step back. There was a loud clicking noise as she did.

"What?" Soumia said.

"Do not move. Not one muscle" Said Lucky. He bent down and looked at Soumia's feet.

"You are standing on a modified landmine." He said to her.

"I just had a pedicure."

Roy Ward stood on the edge of the Fountain that flanked Barrington Circle and the entrance to Port Charles Park. As he looked forward he could see the tiki torches of the marching crowd and hear the chant of "We will not be replaced."

He turned and saw the people of Sonyea gathering to block the entrance of the park.

Mac Scorpio came up next to him. "Sir, you have about ten minutes to get those people to move to the side and open and entrance into the park, or we are going to have a major problem."

Ward nodded and looked at Laura. She smiled at him. From the left he saw TJ Ashford and a Tall thin man he recognized from the news as Valentin Cassadine move next to Laura. He heard the whispers from the crowd as they recognized TJ as the young man who had recently been beaten by the Security patrol.

He took a megaphone that one of Mac's officers had handed him and said. "My Friends, my friends please listen to me. "He waited for a moment as the crowd began to give him their attention.

"Family. I call you my Family. Because you are. You all know me. I am Roy Ward. My Grandma was Mary Mae Ward and she lived, and she died just three blocks from where we are standing tonight. You know me. You know my Uncle Bradley and his Son Justus. You know me. Many of you I bet had Momma's or Grandmomma's who came to Mary Mae at Ward house, and sought love and comfort and understanding. She loved you all. You all loved her. And so, we are Family."

Laura smiled as she saw Felix, Jax and the others join the crowd. Valentin came up next to her. She looked at him and whispered. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend"

He nodded, took her hand and kissed it. "Bigger wars to fight tonight" He took a place on her left while Kevin flanked her right.

"I am hear tonight with your Mayor. Do you know that when she was a young Mother, your Mayor volunteered at Ward House? That she was there that terrible night when it burned, that she and my Cousin Justus saved the children who were there?"

Laura thought that was a rather skewed retelling of what had happened that night, but she understood the point.

"Folks coming down the block right towards us are some people who are claiming that we are looking to replace them. Replace them? In our own neighborhood? How are we doing that my friends."

The crowd yelled and cheered.

"But here is the thing my friends, we have every right to chase these people from our streets, we have every cause to hate them the way they hate us."

Again, the crowd yelled and cheered.

"BUT. When ever I feel that anger grow inside me. Whenever I feel that rage. I hear my Grandma. I hear Mary Mae and she is saying to me "Roy, you do what JAYSUS said to do. You take coals and you reap them on your enemy. You show them kindness. You show them the other cheek. Because in that they will feel shame. They will feel small. And so, family. Not for me. No no Not for me. And not for your Mayor and not for your Police Commissioner. Not for any of us but tonight for Mary Mae. I need you to let these people pass."

There were some shattered cries of no and no way.

"I know it is hard" Ward went on. "But we need to let them go into that park and have their rally. We need to do this, because deep down you know that it is what Mary Mae would want. Now…and Hear me friends. I am not saying go home. I am not saying that we are not going to shame them. We are going to do what my young friend TJ here is doing we are going to do this right."

"How?" Some one shouted.

"I will tell you how. Do you want to hear how?"

"Yes"

"We are going to part like the red sea and let there be an opening into the park. We are then going to stand and watch. We are going to be silent. And watch. But every time they chant "We will not be replaced" We are going to say, "We are Port Charles." Let me hear you say it."

"We are Port Charles."

Laura and those near Ward began to yell it loudly "We are Port Charles. We are Port Charles"

The crowd chanted it once or twice.

Terry looked at Jax as he yelled. "We are Port Charles." She reached down and took his hand. "We have such romantic dates" She said with a smile.

"Best places baby"

Ward looked out at the crowd and then spoke again. "Now listen to me. If they chant, we chant. But if they become physical, we trust the police. I know that is hard, but we trust Commissioner Scorpio. We trust Mayor Webber the way Mary Mae trusted Mayor Webber. I know Mac and he is a good man. If one of these people touches you. His officers will protect you. If they get in your face, you remain calm and you tell them what?"

"We are Port Charles."

"We are Port Charles."

Ward climbed down from the fountain base and walked into the crowd. He motioned for it to part allowing for access to the park. Mac got on his radio and commanded his offices to line in front of the counter protest. Laura, Joe, Kevin, TJ and Valentin walked into the crowd. Laura walked over and hugged Bobbie who was standing near Lucas. She patted Lucas' shoulder and smiled.

The group chanted "We are Port Charles"

And down the block, in the front of the Holt supporters, Jason heard them and sighed.

Anna was surprised to see Serena come down the hall with Scott. Then again, she thought she had as much right as Scott to know.

"Is Scorpio with you?" Scott asked instead of saying hello.

"Robert is occupied at the PCPD. Mac is in the field Robert is holding the base because of the rally."

'Too bad."

"Why?"

Scott smiled." Because him I can punch in the mouth. How long have you known that Bobby Chandler, my stepbrother was alive?"

"About a week." Said Anna. "And I only found out that he was your stepbrother when you called. Can you give me some background without yelling at me?"

Serena smiled and touched her father's arm. "Give Anna a chance Dad."

"After my mother Meg Bentley, Brooke's stepmother, died, Lee eventually remarried a woman named Caroline Chandler, she had a son who was older than me named Bobby. He and his mother and his young son were lost at sea. Lee eventually married Gail of course. But I was a kid. I really looked up to Bobby he was a medical student."

"Scott" Anna said softly. "You know that it is not an uncommon name? Why make the leap into thinking that this man is your Stepbrother?"

"Because the WSB has a history of making people disappear at sea. And it would make sense for Bobby to be one of them. When Lee first met Caroline, Bobby had an incurable disease that somehow miraculously cleared up."

"Didn't Dr. Hardy cure him?" Serena asked. "That is what Grandpa always told me."

Anna nodded. "Steve was known in those days for being a brilliant researcher, his cure of dungee fever was definitely adopted by the WSB."

"Then wouldn't the WSB have taken Dr. Hardy and not my Uncle?" Serena asked.

Anna smirked. "Steve's relationship with the WSB especially when Ballantine was Director was very complex and let's leave it at that. "She turned to Scotty and said. "Look I have no idea if he is your Bobby Chandler or not, but I can tell you that thirty years of almost near isolation have left him a little….can we say confused…if you are willing I can arrange for you to go there and speak to him…Scott he is still contagious with a virus that we still cannot cure…so conversation is in Hazmat suits and through containment rooms."

"I don't care. If it is Bobby, then I want to see him. Look Brooke and I are working things out, but she walked away, she abandoned me, Bobby was stolen from me. If this guy is him, then I want to know."

Anna nodded. "The clearance on this is very high, Scott. It will take at least a week and the holiday won't help. It will go all the way up to Frisco, and then over to the CDC. I know that Frisco will approve, Robert and I will put the screws to him for that, but the CDC may drag."

"I can ask Colonel Nelson to try and reach out to them" Said Serena.

Anna nodded. "Okay we will do that. Now if you will excuse me, I need to handle a few other matters."

Anna walked back into Hajar and Annie's room. Scott sat on a bench in the hallway and buried his hands in his face.

Serena sat down next to him. "You know kid, a few years ago, before they passed, I was in Florida with Lee and Gail and it struck me that in a few years, the Baldwin's would just be you, me and Livvie. And then Crazy Heather announced that Franco was my son. And it took me a while to warm up to him, I mean he is not always an easy person to like."

"Which is of course proof he is your son" Serena said smiling.

"Yeah, and then last year Lee and Gail both gone." Scotty shook his head. "And I am so happy to have you and Franco, and even your crazy sister and that Elizabeth's boys call me Grandpa Scott, and that you are with Drew, but you're all kids. No one my age."

"And now Brooke is back and maybe Bobby?"

"Yeah. If he is Bobby, Lee would want me to help him. He loved him like a son, the same way he loved me."

"Because you are his Son, Dad."

"And so was Bobby" Scotty said with a sad smile.

Jason Morgan's head was pounding. Emotion always gave him some modicum of pain. Even good emotions like Love and Joy and Happiness left him with a dull ache. This was a result of the mishmash of neurons that had to have formed in his brain to bypass the frontal lobes which had blown like a car tire in his accident. The more intense the emotion the more intense the pain. And not just his emotions, the emotions of those around were if anything worse. And right now, he was in the middle of a tornado of emotion.

He was in the front line of the Holt rally. Walking with the Bikers who form the front phalanx of the march towards the park where Holt waited to speak. Jason was glad that Carly, had been one of those who had gone ahead with Holt and his staff to set up the park. If things went south the only one he would need to protect would be Kristina who along with Don Murray, who she was apparently dating, he would need to speak to Sonny about that, was in the second line holding one of the large banners proclaiming Holt for Governor.

The marchers were raw with emotion, Anger, rage, fear all bled off them like sweat at a gym. They were loud and increasingly dangerous. Every time the chant of "We will not be replaced." Rose up Jason felt the pain in the base of his head.

He could now make out the folks at Barrington Circle. They looked angry as well, Jason could hardly blame them. He was with the Holt rally to spy on them for Congressman Joe Kelly, not because he believed what they preached. The people at Barrington circle were far calmer than the people that Jason was marching with. abnormally calm he thought like a rubber band in the second before its snaps.

They Holt march entered the circle and began to pass by the faces in the crowd. Jason tried not to make eye contact. He had never allowed himself to relearn how to feel guilt, or shame. But this was as close as he had come to either in decades.

"Jason!"

He heard his name and turned.

Jaspar Jax looked at him and shook his head. From behind Jason's right ear, Jeb one of the biker's that Jason suspected was engaged in human trafficking yelled loudly "We will not be replaced."

Jax's face went dark and he locked eyes with Jason

"We are Port Charles" He said not loudly but enough for Jason to hear.

As the protesters marched into the park each cry of "We will not be replaced" Was met with "We are Port Charles."

Jason fell back a little and came up next to Kristina. She and Don were chanting as loud as everyone.

Kristina turned and saw TJ. She purposely walked away from Jason and Don and got near her Sister's boyfriend. "We will not be replaced." She screamed in his face.

TJ thought he had seen hatred and rage on the faces of the officers who had beaten him, but he realized in a split second that it was nothing compared to the look on Kristina's face. He also knew that her scream was not directed at him. She was yelling through him at Molly, and suddenly he was fearful for his girlfriend's safety

He took a deep breath, smiled at his future sister-in-law and said softly "We are Port Charles."

"Don't Move" said Lucky for the thousandth time as he raced around the large warehouse.

"The back of my leg itches" Said Soumia with more bravery then she felt.

"Deal with it" Lucky said. He had found a cherry picker and was driving it to the far side of the warehouse. He got in the basket and raised it up to the ceiling. He took the coil of steel wire he had and hooked it tightly around a beam. Then as he maneuvered the picker, he began to let the wire out.

He turned and looked at where Soumia stood. They were lucky the table, the laptop, the bomb and the girl were all pretty much dead center of the room. He reeled out the cable so that it came over Soumia's head at a height of about six feet and then continued it's downward slope to the far side of the warehouse. Lucky anchored the wire on the far side.

"What are you doing?' Soumia said "Did you call Anna and the bomb squad?"

"I did but they will never get here in time. How, much longer do you think you can just stand still there?"

Soumia did not answer out loud. She knew in her head that soon she would need to move. People can stand still for a long while. Really right up until the moment some one tells them not to move. Once you are told not to do something your mind rebels and you have a compulsion to do it. It is why Pandora opened the box.

Lucky was behind her and she could not turn around to see him. "What are you doing."

Lucky had found a metal cross bar and had attached the guide wire. Then he began to move the cart back to the other side. He looked at Soumia and smiled as he reached where the steel cable was at its highest point.

"Oh God No" Said Soumia as she realized what he had built.

"You got a better idea?"

She thought for a moment. Lucky had built a zip line. If he hung upside down by his legs he could if she reached up grab her hands and move them both past the blast. She hoped.

"We will fall from the zip line and break a leg?" She said.

"A broken leg is not blown to bits." He replied as he hooked his right leg over the cross bar.

"What if you miss."

"I won't have to explain to you what went wrong." He said holding himself to the side of the cherry picker while dangling upside down from the cross bar. "Put your hands over your head and when I grab you hold on."

Soumia nodded and raised her hands over her head. "Lucky?"

"Yeah"

"I Love you."

"I Love you too" He said as he let his grip on the basket of the cherry picker go and pushed off.

The world slowed. Lucky figured it took about four seconds to cross the warehouse floor. At the one point one second mark he felt his hands grip Soumia's. He saw the strain on her face as she held on to him. She tucked her legs up as they zipped past.

And then his ears were filled with the explosion. The shockwave rocked him, and he felt his left leg slip off the bar. That threw the balance off and he and Soumia to the concrete floor.

Jason came up behind Kristina and touched her shoulder. "Come on. "She balked but turned and walked into the park.

Jax was saddened beyond words to have seen so many faces of people he knew in the crowd. Jason and Kristina, he assumed Carly was there somewhere. Others as well, men and women who had worked at his hotels or for his trucking company. Good decent people being led by fear and hatred.

The last of the crowd was passing. The chants of "We are Port Charles" had driven away the cries of "We will not be replaced."

The last of the Holt Protestors passed Jax and Terry. One of them turned and recognized Terry from her recent interview with Peter August.

The man, slightly taller but less well built then Jax reared back and spit in Terry's face as he said. "Tranny Bitch."

Jax stepped forward and Terry caught his arm. She stepped between him and the man, the spit running down her face. She looked at the rage, the anger and saw the fear of what he did not understand, she could in the split second in her mind explain to him the difference between a transvestite who dresses as the opposite sex and a transgender a person who knows that they are the opposite sex, but it was not worth it, He would not hear and would not understand. Instead she looked at him, took yet another step closer and said. "We. Are. Port. Charles." and then softer added. "And you are not."

The man stepped back and walked into the park. Terry turned to Jax and looked up at him. He took out his handkerchief and wiped the spit from her face. Then he leaned down and while the chants faded into the park, he lifted her chin up and kissed her.

"Soumia!" Lucky yelled as he slid across the floor to where Soumia had landed. She lay face down on the concrete floor.

At the sound of his voice she lifted her hand. "I'm just going to stay here and become one with the floor" She said.

Lucky hunched down next to her. "Are you hurt."

"I think I may have wet myself." Soumia said. She touched the side of her head. "I'm going to have a bruise there. I am going to tell everyone you shoved me onto a concrete floor."

Lucky laughed. "Yeah you do that." He took her in his arms and hugged her tight.

"Better get in all the hugs you can Spencer" She said.

"Why is that?"

"Because I am going to be in my lab, because clearly it was no mere thief who stole Hajar's backpack. It was Alexandria, and now we are in a race to see who develops the Ice Princess formula first, and God help the world if we lose"

_(Happy Thanksgiving One and All: Next up a Quartermaine Thanksgiving and then we head to the last series in Book Two of our little Alt-GH: The Sudden Chill of Alexandria Quartermaine. Oh By the way I have a slice of home made pumpkin pie for the first person to guess who Alexandria's scientist is, you have until the Pizza arrives)_


End file.
